Helping bone marrow patients live longer

New work at the Royal Brisbane and Women’s Hospital (RBWH) is investigating how different treatment options can improve long term outcomes for bone marrow transplant patients.

RBWH Haematology Senior Medical Officer Dr Andrea Henden is finding new ways to improve outcomes for bone marrow transplant patients

More Australians than ever before are requiring a bone marrow transplant as treatment for life-threatening blood or immune diseases such as leukaemia, multiple myeloma and lymphoma. Unfortunately, there is a high risk of post-transplant complications for these patients due to both complications of the transplant and immune suppression.

RBWH Haematology Senior Medical Officer Dr Andrea Henden is conducting a multifaceted research program which aims to explore how bone marrow transplants can be improved.

The first aspect of the program, currently underway, is looking into the efficacy of COVID-19 vaccination in post-transplant patients. Data shows that this cohort of patients doesn’t respond to the vaccine in the same way a healthy person would, therefore finding an alternate solution is essential to protect this vulnerable group from contracting the disease. In collaboration with QIMR Berghofer Medical Research Institute, the team are deriving T-cells (a type of white blood cell) from people who have already had COVID-19 and providing them to bone marrow transplant patients to ascertain if this provides them with immunity to COVID-19.

A second trial is looking to improve health outcomes for patients with disease relapse following a bone marrow transplant. This situation is life threatening as there are limited treatment options, and traditional options such as intensive chemotherapy can make them extremely unwell. The trial, called CONTAIN (Combination Targeted and Immunotherapy for relapse post-Transplant) is assessing how novel drugs, as well as drugs that have been used in the past, can improve control of relapse.

Another common complication for bone marrow transplant recipients is Graft Versus Host disease. The aim of a bone marrow transplants is for the new graft to recognise and kill the leukaemia or malignancy, however in some cases it may also attack healthy cells and tissues. Graft Versus Host disease affecting the gut can be particularly problematic and potentially fatal. The final element of the program of work will offer the novel therapy of faecal transplant from Red Cross Lifeblood for these patients to assess if it is a useful treatment option for the disease.

“Essentially, the program of research is all about trying to tackle these big problems of infection, relapse and Graft Versus Host disease following bone marrow transplant,” said Dr Henden.

“Through these clinical trials, we will be bringing novel therapies to our patients that we haven’t had access to before.

“Across the three different arms of our research, we hope to find treatments for patients that result in better outcomes.”